From Afar
by SweetRevenge151
Summary: AU ROMY one shot. Remy exercises his inner obsessive stalker, and becomes just a little bit...delusional. Aren't crushes fun?


Disclaimer: If I did own the X-Men, I can guarantee you that I wouldn't be writing fan fiction. 

Authors Note: I've always wanted to write something about a Vegetarian Restaurant…I found myself getting really carried away with this, and it became one of the funnest things to write EVER. It's a really stupid story, which is probably just going to have you confused, but I am actually quite _happy _with it (for once, I know). Perhaps just humour me on this one? Have fun!

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From Afar

There she was again. That girl. Or _his chére, _as he had so hopefully taken to calling her…

Not that he'd ever spoken to her; she probably didn't even know that he existed. But he sure knew about her. He had been watching her for weeks, maybe even months, he wasn't quite sure anymore. But he would hang around until the leaves were brown if he had to, however long it took to talk to her. And it wasn't like he could even use any of his old tricks; she didn't look like the type who could be easily swayed by charm and a pretty face. It was a dilemma.

He still remembered clear as day the first time he'd ever seen her. He had had some business in a part of town he would never usually visit, which he credited as the reason he hadn't seen her earlier. He had just been walking down the road, minding his own business when he'd passed this tiny vegetarian café, that wouldn't normally have even caught his attention. And there she was, _his chére, _working inside.

It had been the only time to date that any girl had actually stopped the infamous Remy LeBeau in his tracks. All he could do was just stand there, gawking like some teenage schoolboy. But then he had pulled himself together, remembered that he had come to this part of town for a reason, and left.

But since that day he had been back. In fact he had been back so much that he was even starting to know the times of her shifts. It was starting to become an obsession.

From his hiding place, he would just watch her work. He would watch her take orders from customers, writing everything down on a little notepad. He would watch her balance plates, cups, saucers and cutlery in a fashion that never ceased to amaze him. He would watch her tuck stray bits of auburn and white hair back into her unruly ponytail. He would watch her wipe down tables, pour tea and serve food. Things everyone else would usually find completely boring, but he found them all increasingly fascinating.

And then the day would end and he would leave her, and go home, and try desperately to snap himself out of very unhealthy fixation with a girl whose name he didn't even know yet. But she was still without a doubt the most attractive girl he'd ever seen, and she was going to take some getting over.

Sometimes, he had this lovely daydream where he would actually become a participant, rather that just an observer. He would walk into that café, find himself a seat, then she would come and bring him a drink, and they would just talk like they had known each other for ages. Sometimes at the end of her dream-shift, Remy even got to go home with her. It was his favourite kind of dream.

Today was just like any other really. He was hanging around outside _his chére's _place of work. To be honest, he was amazed he had got away with it for this long. He knew he was good, but to get away with always being there, and for months. Well he guessed people could be pretty unobservant sometimes…

She was looking especially good today. She was wearing a dress; he had never seen her in a dress before. It was a shame she had her neat white apron on over the top. Her hair was tied back, as usual. He supposed she had to wear it like that for work, but he always thought it would look so much nicer if it were down. He always made little observations like that.

He had been there about an hour, several people had already come and gone but it was not a busy day and the café was not crowded. There were a few people that he was now (perhaps a little sadly) able to recognise as regulars; including one that Remy always thought looked like he should be at a cider festival, rather than a café. But they mostly kept themselves to themselves. After all, this was a nice, quiet place.

All of a sudden, Remy was feeling inexplicably brave. Without even really realising what he was doing, he found himself walking across the street to the white wood and glass door that had become so familiar of late. He even heard the pretty sound of a little bell ringing as he walked in, but he didn't really realise he was doing it, it was like an out of body experience.

He took a seat by the window, and then took a good look around. The place was actually bigger that he expected, and it had a nice atmosphere too. He was starting to settle in, feel comfortable even. He was wondering why he had made such a fuss about going in for so long.

"Good morning sir, can Ah take your order?"

Then he remembered.

He suddenly found himself struck dead by inarticulation. He looked up and found his beautiful waitress standing beside him, poised with her notepad and pencil, looking expectant. She had lovely green eyes, and a southern accent. He had never expected either of those things.

He tried once again to say something, use a little of his usual natural charisma, but he felt like his whole personality was completely failing him just when he needed his good attributes to kick in and save his sorry self the most.

"A coffee please, wit' milk." He finally choked out, very ungracefully indeed. She just nodded and wrote it down.

"We've got homemade apple crumble on specials today." She added, pointing to a blackboard by the till. "It comes with vanilla ice cream and it goes great with coffee."

"Oui, I'll take some of dat as well." Anything for her. She scribbled it down, told him it would be with him in a few minutes and then went back to work. Just like that.

Remy sat there and tried to regain his composure. What was happening to him? He was usually so good with girls, but now he was just sweating profusely and was completely unable to string two decent words together. He imagined what his brother, or his cousins, or anyone who knew him for that matter would say if they saw him now. Actually they would probably just laugh.

"Ok, one coffee with milk and one apple crumble." She stated brightly, setting his order down and then stopping for a second to tuck a bit of hair behind her ear. It made him want to melt. "Anythin' else?"

He shook his head.

"Alright then, enjoy your crumble." She told him, and then she smiled, a beautiful smile that was meant for him and him alone. If Remy could have picked the best moment out of his life so far, that would have been it, however small and seemingly insignificant.

But then she turned and left and went to get on with her job, and look after her other customers. Remy was left to sit there eating apple crumble that he hadn't really wanted, all on his own.

What he desperately wanted was to just go up to her, turn on the charm, and then kiss her in front of all the other customers. But in his head, he had this very vivid picture of what she was like as a person. A girl of integrity, who wouldn't be swayed by cheap words like all the others. Someone who would be more than just a conquest. Someone who he would do big romantic gestures for, because she would like old-fashioned things like that. A girl who would make him settle down, and change his ways. And he would be happier for it, because it would be with her…the girl from the café, who's name he didn't even know. Whatever it was though, he just knew it would sound good with "LeBeau" on the end.

No, he wasn't going to be sleazy; he wanted to do this properly.

So he sat there and ate his crumble and drank his coffee, watching her work like he had done everyday for ages. He liked how she danced, just ever-so-slightly, to the music that played through the shop whilst she worked. He noticed little things like that. He would make a good boyfriend.

And finally the time came to pay the bill. It was his big chance, and he had to take it or else he knew he might regret it forever. You don't ask, you don't get. Right?

She brought the bill to him, but just as she turned to leave, he grabbed her hand. It was a bold move and she looked a little startled. Evidently not many customers ever snatched at her appendages.

"Um, chére…" he began, then mentally scolding himself for using his pet name for her. What was he thinking? He tried to force out what he needed to say regardless.

"I…I was wonderin', maybe I could…get y' number. We could go out f' dinner sometime, someplace nice…" He trailed off, he wasn't sure where he was going really, he was just praying that she would say yes, and give him that number.

And then there was a moment, which felt like an eternity.

"Ah'm sorry…but Ah have a boyfriend." Her look turned to one of pity.

"Oh, right." He should have guessed really. After all why would someone that perfect still be single? He roughly put some money down on the table and then left the shop very quickly indeed.

Remy had never felt so upset in all his life. He had just been viciously turned down by the women he was sure was going to have his children. She might as well have just ripped out his heart and stamped on it whilst he paid for his coffee.

He turned up the collar of his trench coat and pulled it around him a little. Walking down the very familiar streets, he just wanted to be home as quickly as possible, and he never wanted to set foot in this part of town again. There were too many memories.

He made a left, and came out by the big old grey bank on the high street. Right by it there was a small green flower stand, which was always there come rain or shine. One of those nice little constants in life. And it was there that he saw her, busy selling a bunch of freesias to a middle-aged man.

The brand new love of his life…

* * *

So Remy didn't get our girl. Poor lamb, I think I was a bit mean to him. Yes, new stories. At the rate I'm going, I probably won't get anything else written until at least, ooh, next year, but I will try and do something sooner. Promise. 

But until then loves, please review!

SweetRevenge


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